Key Events

End of live coverage

14:21

Nunes family issues statement

The Nunes family have given a statement following the conclusion of the inquest.

“It is very difficult for us to understand, from what little evidence and information that does remain, what happened that terrible day.“Even after today we still have many questions that are simply unable to ever be answered and sadly we are told we will have to forever suffer the torment of never knowing for sure.”The statement continued: “Their passing leaves us with a huge hole in our hearts that will never heal. They are, and always will be, missed so much.”

Tributes to the family (Image: Surrey Mirror)

14:16

Not known who caused the explosion

Mr Sutton-Mattock has gone on to say that he cannot say whether Mr or Mrs Nunes had caused the explosion and fire, or whether they had done it together.

14:14

"Cause of tragedy will never be known"

Delivering his verdict Mr Sutton-Mattock said: “What happened... to cause this tragedy will almost certainly never be known,” he said.

“Somebody in the family must have poured petrol over the floor of the bedroom and then ignited it causing the almost immediate death of all three people in that bedroom. “Quite why will never become clear.”

14:08KEY EVENT

Verdicts delivered

The coroner, Christopher Sutton-Mattock, assistant coroner for Surrey, has recorded that Tiago jr was unlawfully killed but has recorded open verdicts for both Tiago sr and Adriana.

Adriana Nunes and Tiago Nunes and their son, also Tiago (Image: Facebook)

13:22

Judgement at 2pm

The court has now taken a break for lunch and the coroner has said that they will return at around 2pm to read their verdict. We will return with live updates then.

13:19

Tiago snr in debt

The court heard that Mr Nunes was in debt, something his family was unaware of. “There were credit card debts and loans to be paid,” said Miss Nunes.“He never spoke to me about it. I was very sad about it because we would definitely have helped him.”

13:17

"I can't see (either) parent doing any harm to my nephew"

Miss Nunes has defended her brother and sister-in-law and said she does not believe either of them would have harmed their son. She said: “I can’t see (either) parent doing any harm to my nephew. “They were kind, caring people.”

Police on the scene after the fire (Image: Surrey Mirror)

13:11

Family had met up the day before the fire

On the day before the fire, the family had visited another of Tiago snr’s sisters.“They were so happy,” said Miss Nunes. “We were planning a meal out because it was Adriana’s birthday.” Adriana had even asked her to buy a cake. “She was making jokes and seemed in quite high spirits. She looked and seemed on good form.”

13:06

Adriana "had made previous suicide attempt"

Miss Nunes has told the court that Adriana had tried to kill herself once, but Mr Nunes had found his wife in time. She had also seen Adriana self-harming on one occasion.

The house after the fire (Image: GEOFFREY ROBINSON )

12:57

"We will probably all go together”

Manuela Nunes has now told the court that her brother had spoken to her about fears about his wife in the past. She said: “Tiago once told me if something happened to Adriana, he wouldn’t have the will to live and he said to me, we will probably all go together.”

12:48

Adriana "had self-harmed in the past"

Manuela Nunes has continued her evidence talking about her sister-in-law’s depression. She said: “Adriana would call me many times saying she didn’t have the will to live any more and she was very depressed and as a sister in law I would always try to encourage her and say God has given you another chance as a mother so you have to take that chance and be the best you can. You are a great mother, don’t say you are not because I can see you are.”She also said that Adriana had self-harmed in the past

The fire started overnight between January 23 and 24, 2017 (Image: Geoff Robinson)

12:42

"Adriana was depressed"

Manuela Nunes has been speaking about her sister-in-law. She said: “Adriana was depressed, Her daughter from a previous marriage had killed herself, aged 16.”

12:35

Sister to give evidence

Manuela Nunes, Tiago snr’s sister, is now giving evidence

12:32

Pathologist's evidence

The coroner is reporting the findings of pathologist Dr Robert Chapman. He said: “All three bodies were severely burned, hampering the examination. “All three probably died as a result of exposure to fire.”

The family lived in Little Stanton Cottage (Image: Geoff Robinson )

12:26

Tiago Jr "likely asleep" when fire started

DCI Mayers was asked by the coroner if investigators had considered whether the little boy, Tiago jr, could have started the fire. However he said that it was “highly likely that at the time Tiago jr was asleep next to mum”

Tiago Jr, right, was likely asleep when the fire started (Image: Facebook)

12:18

"No third party involvement"

DCI Mayers has told the court that the police ruled out third party involvement

The conclusion, he said, was that the fire was started from within the room the bodies were found. If a third party had been involved they would have been killed at the time of the explosion. He said: “There is no evidence any third party was involved or (that) there was any form of device that had been set to delay an ignition.”

12:12

Police inspector gives evidence

Detective chief inspector Paddy Mayers is now giving evidence. He confirmed scientists, scenes of crime officers and fire experts spent days examining the remains of the cottage.

Police on the scene at Trumpets Hill Road (Image: Surrey Mirror)

12:06

Two cats also died in the fire

Mr Risbridger has confirmed that the bodies of two cats were also found in the cottage

12:04

Bedroom window "blasted by explosion"

Mr Risbridger has explained to the court how the fire service came to the conclusion that the fire had been started deliberately.

“The window of the bedroom was blasted more than five metres from the house. There was a “significant over pressure that can only come from an explosion of gas or a vapour”. That vapour was petrol, he said.

“The fire was started deliberately in the main bedroom. Petrol would not normally be found in a bedroom,” he said.

The house was completely destroyed by the fire (Image: Surrey Mirror)

11:59

Petrol vapour discovered in room where bodies found

More evidence from Mr Risbridger:

The window of the bedroom was blasted more than five metres from the house. There was a “significant over pressure that can only come from an explosion of gas or a vapour”. That vapour was petrol, he said.

11:56

"Fire undiscovered for nine to 10 hours"

Mr Risbridger said that the fire started in the main bedroom, and spread to the rest of the bungalow. The fire is thought to have burned, undiscovered for nine to ten hours.

(Image: Surrey Mirror)

11:53

Fire officer takes the stand

Paul Risbridger is giving evidence on behalf of the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service about the investigation, and the excavations of the destroyed house. He has told the inquest that the bodies of Tiago jr and his mother were found on a double bed, with Mr Nunes’ body on the floor next to the bed.

11:50

Mr Nunes "totally normal" day before fire

Mrs Smart said she had spent an hour with Mr Nunes the day before the fire. “He was totally normal. There was nothing that in any way, I could have thought ‘well, you have had a bad weekend’. He was his usual self.”

11:48

Second witness

Mr Smart’s wife, Anne, is next to take the stand and told the court she was woken by her dogs “howling” at 2.30am. She let them out but smelled nothing unusual, although the bungalow was some way from the main house, she said.

11:44

Tiago Snr "utterly delightful"

Mr Smart has described his former employee as “utterly delightful” and “an extremely good gardener, nothing was too much trouble”. He told the court that his son, Tiago Jr, 6, seemed “a happy, healthy boy who had good, devoted parents”.

Tributes left at the scene to the family (Image: Surrey Mirror)

11:41

"It took me a second to realise there wasn't a roof"

Mr Smart described the scene as he approached the cottage where the family lived. “It took me a moment or two to realise there was anything wrong,” said Mr Smart. “Because the walls were standing. It took me a second or two to realise there wasn’t a roof.”

First witness

The first witness called is Adrian Smart. Tiago Nunes Sr worked as a gardener for Adrian Smart and lived in a cottage, known as Little Stanton Cottage, which is on an estate owned by Mr Smart. Mr Smart told the court that be became concerned when he hadn’t heard from Mr Nunes on the morning of January 24 last year. Unable to reach him on either his landline or mobile, he eventually walked to the cottage at 10.40am. Mr Nunes normally reported to Mr Smart every morning at 9am for a pre-work briefing.

(Image: Grant Melton)

11:27

Welcome

Welcome to our live updates from the inquest into the deaths of Adriana Nunes, 41, Tiago Nunes, 30, and their son Tiago Nunes, 6 at a house on Trumpets Hill Road, between Reigate and Betchworth, overnight between January 23 and 24, 2017. Our reporter Jenny Seymour is at Woking Coroner’s Court and will be providing updates.

Adriana Nunes and Tiago Nunes and their son, also Tiago (Image: Facebook)